Hard To Come By
by Keitorin Asthore
Summary: Kurt and Blaine desperately wanted a family of their own. They just hadn't realized that becoming fathers would so difficult. Klaine. Futurefic.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox, not me.

* * *

><p><strong>PROLOGUE: September 10, 2021<br>**

Kurt closed the door to the labor and delivery room with shaking hands. _I can't do this_, he thought frantically. _There is no way I can do this._

He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, ignoring the curious looks from nurses walking up and down the hall as he covered his face in his hands. _How did I think I could do this? _he thought, his throat tightening. _I shouldn't be a father. I'll be a terrible father._

But his child was going to be there any minute now, whether he liked it or not. Whether he was ready or not.

"I have to do this," he whispered. "I'm going to be a dad. I've always wanted to be a dad."

He glanced back at the closed door and swallowed hard.

_This was really, really happening._

* * *

><p><strong>1997<strong>

"Are you serious?" Burt said.

"Look at how cute he is," Mollie cooed, peeking into the living room. "He's so adorable."

"He's got a baby doll," Burt said flatly.

"So?" Mollie said. "Oh, he's the cutest thing."

She smiled widely at the sight of her little boy. Three-year-old Kurt sat on the couch quietly watching The Little Mermaid, his tiny bare toes wiggling in time to the music. He sucked on a pacifier (a habit his parents were desperately trying to get him to break) and in his small arms he clutched a baby doll, wrapped tightly in Kurt's own beloved blankie. Kurt absently rocked the baby doll back and forth, still absorbed in the movie.

"Why'd you get him a baby doll?" Burt asked, perplexed.

"Because he asked for it," Mollie said. She turned around to face her husband. "We were in the toy aisle at Target and he started doing that little grabby hands thing and he looked so sad…so I bought it for him." She glanced back at Kurt. "He named it Ralph. Isn't that cute?"

"But…but Moll, he's…he's a boy," Burt said, floundering helplessly. "It's kind of weird that a little boy would want a baby doll, right?"

Mollie shrugged. "I don't see anything wrong with it," she said. "If anything, it's teaching him to be gentle and nurturing. That's not a problem, right?" Burt scratched the back of his neck. Her eyes narrowed. "Right?"

"I guess not," Burt sighed.

Mollie poked her husband lightly in the ribs. "Come on, it's cute," she said. She squeezed his arm, then headed into the living room.

Kurt glanced up as she sat down next to him on the couch, breaking into one of his sunny smiles and clambering onto her lap. "What are you up to, KK?" she asked, popping the pacifier out of his mouth.

"Rocking my baby," he said, hugging the soft doll to his tiny chest. "He's sleeping, Mommy."

"Oh, I see," Mollie smiled, brushing Kurt's hair off his forehead. "So we should be quiet so we don't wake Ralph up, right?"

Kurt nodded solemnly and rocked the doll back and forth. "I want to be a mommy when I grow up," he announced.

Mollie was flabbergasted into silence for a moment. "That's wonderful, Kurt," she said, recovering quickly. "But you grow up to be a mommy, you have to be a daddy."

Kurt scowled. "Why?" he asked.

"Because you're not a little girl."

"Why?"

"Because you're a little boy."

"Why?"

"Because little girls grow up to be mommies and little boys grow up to be daddies," Mollie said. Kurt's scowl deepened, and she hastened to explain. "The only difference is the name, precious. Daddies love their babies and take care of them just like mommies do. They just don't carry the baby in their tummy like a mommy does."

Kurt brightened. "Okay," he said, pleased. "I wanna be a daddy when I grow up."

"I'm sure you will be a very good daddy," Mollie said, kissing Kurt on the cheek as he cuddled his baby doll.

"Sh, Mommy," Kurt commanded, putting one chubby hand over Mollie's mouth. "Ariel singing."

"Sorry," she whispered, half laughing against his small fingers. She kissed his palm and glanced back at Burt. Her husband was watching them, grinning almost foolishly, and she smiled back.

* * *

><p><strong>2003<strong>

Burt glanced away from the TV to find his eight-year-old son fast asleep, looking tinier than usual in the overstuffed armchair. He looked up at the clock and sighed. It was already past ten- definitely past Kurt's bedtime.

With a grunt he stretched for the remote and switched the television off, then sat back and surveyed his son. Kurt was out like a light, slender arms and legs splayed out, lips parted as he breathed heavily. Burt stood up and walked over to him, about to wake him up. He paused, though, as Kurt shifted a little in his sleep, and decided against waking him.

Burt leaned down and picked Kurt up, letting his son's head fall against his shoulder. Kurt whimpered. "It's okay, kiddo, it's just Dad," he soothed, patting Kurt's back. Kurt sleepily wrapped his legs around Burt's waist and didn't fight back.

Burt carried his son carefully up the stairs, rubbing his hand against the small of Kurt's back. _He should have been in bed already, _he scolded himself. He had been a single parent for almost a year now; surely he could at least remember his kid's bedtime, right?

Kurt burrowed drowsily into Burt's shoulder as he carried him into his room. "Okay, kiddo, let go," Burt said, tugging at Kurt's arms around his neck. "You gotta let go, Kurt."

Kurt frowned but obeyed as Burt set him down on his bed. "You awake enough to get into your PJs, scooter?" he asked. Kurt made a displeased, noncommittal noise and buried his face into his pillow. Burt sighed and started unbuttoning Kurt's school shirt.

Kurt sort of woke up as Burt helped him into his sleep clothes, an oversized tee shirt and thick flannel pajama pants (the kid was always freezing when he slept), but he frowned deeply, his eyes squinty with sleep. "All right, there you go," Burt said, tossing Kurt's school clothes over the back of a chair. "Bedtime, kiddo. Under the blankets."

Kurt obeyed sleepily, crawling under the covers as Burt tugged them around him. Burt squeezed his shoulder. "You need anything?" he asked.

To his surprise, Kurt reached one arm up and hugged Burt around the neck. "You're a good dad," he yawned. "When I grow up…I wanna be a dad like you."

Burt stared down at his child. He wasn't a man to get choked up, but damn, he was close. He hugged Kurt tightly to his chest. "Sweet dreams, scooter," he said gruffly. Kurt kissed him on the cheek and let go, snuggling into his pillow with an angelic smile on his face. Burt brushed his hair back, his heart aching, and slipped out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>2010<strong>

For the fourth time that day, Quinn darted into the girls' bathroom, her hand over the mouth. She shoved the door open, ignoring the shocked occupant standing by the sink, and hurtled into the nearest empty stall. It wasn't easy to get on her knees anymore, so she ended up crouching, one hand pressed against the flimsy wall to brace herself as she threw up.

She paused, gasping a little, her eyes burning in shame and frustration and the pure uncomfortableness of it all, and realized that there was a gentle hand on her back. "Are you done for the moment, you think?" Kurt asked gently.

She sighed. "I don't know," she said. "I don't know."

Kurt flushed the toilet gingerly with the toe of his boot and smiled at her, looking vaguely alienlike with the tinges of purple clinging to his ears and cheeks. "Want to sit?" he asked.

"I guess," she said bitterly. He held onto her arm as she slowly lowered herself down, on hand on her rounded belly. "Why are you in here?"

"Slushied again," he sighed. He sat down next to her, their knees touching. "So the morning sickness. It's not letting up."

"I'm seven months, it's supposed to be over," she said, angrily swiping at her suddenly watering eyes. "I'm so tired of this. Of everything."

"I can imagine," he said. He clasped his hands together. "So her name's Beth?"

"Puck's naming her Beth," she said, folding her arms and resting them on her belly. "Her parents can name her whatever they want, I don't care."

Kurt picked idly at his thumbnail. "So you're definitely giving her up for adoption?" he said. "I mean, I know you were going back and forth for a while…"

"Definitely adoption," she said, still rubbing her eyes in the vain hope that they would just stop welling up. "Definitely. I'm not…I'm not ready to be a mom. I mean…I'm…I don't have a home anymore, I'm living with Mercedes' family, and…and there's no place for a baby in my life." She dug the heel of her palm against her eyes so hard it hurt. "Maybe I should have aborted the damn thing when I still had the chance."

Kurt said nothing for a moment. "You know, my mom was in high school when she had me," he offered softly.

"Yeah?" Quinn said sharply. "How'd that work out for her?"

"She…gave up everything to have me, married my dad, and got kicked out of her house," Kurt said, his lips quirking a little. "In that order, actually." He looked up and smiled. "I wish you could talk to her. She would have taken you in in a heartbeat, like a little lost duckling."

"Why can't she?" she said, suddenly envisioning an idyllic life with Kurt's family, her baby cooing in her arms.

Kurt faltered. "She…she died when I was eight," he said.

And there came the guilt. "I'm sorry, Kurt, I just forgot," she apologized, reaching over to take his hand. He squeezed it. "Thank you for staying with me. I'm so used to waiting most of this out on my own…"

"Well, I would much rather sit with you on a dirty bathroom floor than run laps in gym class, so thank you," Kurt grinned. They smiled awkwardly at each other until she dropped her gaze, still feeling ashamed at snapping at him just a moment earlier. Kurt cleared his throat. "So have you met with any adoptive parents?"

She shrugged. "I'm supposed to meet with a social worker about it," she said. "I'm not looking forward to it, to be honest."

Kurt looked down at their still-linked hands. "Would you…would you ever consider letting a…a gay couple adopt your baby?" he ventured.

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "You're a bit young to be a baby daddy," she said, half-teasing.

"No, no, I don't…I mean, not now," Kurt stammered, his cheeks going slightly pinkish. "But…I mean…I've always wanted to be a father, and, well…I don't know if anyone would ever even consider giving their baby to…to someone who was gay."

Quinn leaned back against the stall partition and smiled. "You know, if you'd asked me that a year ago, I would have said no without even thinking," she said softly. She leaned her head back, eyeing him critically. "At this point, though, as long as I knew the baby was going to a family that wanted her and would take care of her, I would be fine."

"So…a gay couple would be okay," he said, his eyes still wide and blue.

"As long as they promised not to let her turn into another Rachel Berry," she teased.

Kurt relaxed and smiled. "The world only needs one Rachel," he agreed.

Quinn winced. "Oh, she's awake," she grunted, patting her belly. She looked up at Kurt's wide-eyed face and slipped her fingers out of his grip, placing his hand on her stomach. "Here. Wait a second."

"Quinn, I don't-"

The baby kicked, sudden and sharp, and Kurt jumped. "Oh my god!" he said, lighting up in a smile. "Oh my god, she kicked!"

"She does it a lot," Quinn said. "Usually she waits until I'm in class. Sneaky thing."

Kurt scooted closer. "Hi, baby," he cooed. "Hi, little Beth." He looked up. "Is it okay if I call her Beth?"

"I don't mind," she said.

"Hello, little Beth," he said. "Ooh, you're going to be a dancer with kicks like that. Or a cheerleader like your mama."

Quinn watched Kurt pat her round belly gently, murmuring to the baby, and suddenly her heart tightened. _If he doesn't get to be a father, life just isn't fair for anyone, _she thought, and she reached over to smooth Kurt's hair in a gentle, almost motherly gesture.

* * *

><p><strong>2011<strong>

"…and so that's the fifth time the council voted me down for a solo," Jeff continued.

Wes tossed an empty soda can across the basement and bopped Jeff on the head. "God, Jeff, stop complaining already," he said.

"Well, Kurt _asked_," Jeff said, clearly offended.

"I think he was just being polite," Thad said. "Good manners are the hallmark of a Warbler."

Blaine leaned back against the couch and laughed as Jeff stomped away to sulk. The Christmas break Warbler sleepover was one of his favorite traditions, especially since this year they were in David's huge basement. Kurt perched next to him with his legs crossed Indian-style, dressed in a loose gray hoodie with the sleeves pushed up and red plaid pajama pants so long the hems covered his feet. He was sort of participating in the boisterous back-and-forth conversation, mostly by laughing and smiling awkwardly while he fiddled the tab on a can of Sprite Zero. Blaine leaned over and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Having fun?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," Kurt said, his smile widening. "This is fantastic."

The basement door swung open. "David?" Mrs. Barnes called. "I hate to interrupt, but Lucy stopped by and I figured you'd want to see her."

David scrambled to his feet. "Send her down, we're decent," he hollered.

"Ooh, David's got a girlfriend," Dylan teased. Nick made kissy noises.

David just rolled his eyes. "You're just jealous," he said.

Lucy skipped down the stairs, still dressed in her navy winter coat and white beret. She held a toddler on her hip, also bundled up in so many layers that he looked almost spherical. "Hi, boys," she sang. "Don't mind me, just stopping by."

David bent to kiss her. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm dropping off belated Christmas gifts, mostly of the baked goods variety," Lucy grinned, adjusting the little toddler on her hip. "I had to bring the baby with me."

"Aw, who's this little guy?" Dylan asked.

"This is the youngest of my six brothers, Toby," Lucy said. She took Toby by the wrist and waved his little hand up and down. "Say hi to the Warblers, Toby. Say 'I'm gonna be a Warbler when I'm big'."

"All in favor of voting Toby Trevelyan a Junior Warbler, say aye," Wes said promptly. He was promptly ignored.

Toby wriggled in Lucy's grasp and whined. She sighed. "All right, Tobester, I'll put you down for a little bit," she said, putting him down carefully on the floor.

Blaine grinned as the three-year-old waddled around the basement, swathed in so many layers that he could barely move. "Hey, little guy," he said, patting the top of Toby's knit hat as he passed by. Toby ignored him, however, making a beeline towards Kurt. Kurt set aside his soda can.

"Hi," Kurt said. Toby raised his small arms and opened and closed his mittened hands. "You want up?"

"You can hold him," Lucy smiled. "He's very cuddly. Which is good, because he's the youngest of seven. There's a lot of cuddling that goes on."

Kurt gingerly picked Toby up and set him on his knee. "Oh, he's so cute," he said, tapping the tip of his finger to Toby's button nose. "Hi, buddy." He looked up at Blaine. "Oh, god, I sound like my father."

Blaine laughed. "I think he likes you," he said. Kurt beamed and bounced Toby on his knees.

Lucy glanced down at her watch. "Oh, I'd better be heading home, it's time for him to have dinner," she said. "Come on, Toby baby, let's go home to Mommy."

Toby pouted, but allowed Lucy to pick him up. Lucy kissed Kurt on the cheek. "We're still going shopping next week, right?" she said.

"Oh, definitely," he said.

"Bye, Lu," Blaine said, pinching her affectionately.

"Bye, Blaine," she said. "Bye, boys! Have a good sleepover! Make good choices."

David took Lucy by the hand and walked her up the steps. Kurt picked up his soda can. "Oh, that little boy is so cute," he said.

Blaine leaned back, stretching his legs onto the coffee table. "I hope my kids are that cute when I have them," he said.

Kurt choked. "Y-you what?" he sputtered.

"When I have kids," Blaine repeated, tilting his head to look at Kurt. "I want kids someday."

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or not, but Kurt's ears seemed to be turning red. "You want kids?" he said.

"Yeah, one or two," Blaine said. "Maybe three. I don't know. It depends on if my partner wants a lot of kids too." He nudged Kurt lightly. "Oh, come on. You think about it, don't you?"

"Uh-huh," Kurt said into his Sprite Zero can.

"So?" Blaine prodded. "How many, boy or girl, names?"

"Two kids," Kurt confessed. "A boy and a girl. And I don't…I don't really have any boy names that I like, but I always thought it would be nice to name a daughter after my mother."

"What was her name?" Blaine asked, his tone gentling a little. Kurt never talked about his mother.

"Mollie," Kurt said softly, his cheeks definitely turning red.

"Mollie," Blaine tried. "Very cute. I like it."

Kurt's face went from slightly red to almost tomato, and he took a long swig of his Sprite.

* * *

><p><strong>2012<strong>

"All right, you little barf machine," Finn said, eyeing his baby sister carefully. "You're done with the spitting up for the night, right? Right, Emily?"

Emily giggled, kicking her tiny bare feet. Finn sighed and picked her up off the changing table. "You'd better be done, because I'm tired of changing your onesies," he informed her. "Next time you spit up all over yourself, you're just going to wear it and think about what you've done."

Emily responded by gurgling and shoving most of her first into her mouth. Finn sighed and patted her back.

The front door swung open. "Finn? Are you here?" Kurt called.

"In Emmy's room," Finn shouted back.

Kurt stuck his head in Emily's nursery. "Where did our parents go?" he asked.

"Went out to dinner and left me," Finn grumbled. "Thank goodness you're home."

Blaine followed Kurt into the nursery. "Oh, hi, Finn," he said. "You're looking particularly domestic today."

Finn stuck out his lower lip. "I'm wearing the apron to defend myself against her spitup attacks, okay?" he said.

"What a good baby, only spitting up on Finn," Kurt praised, reaching for Emily. The baby went to him happily, waving her small fists. "Thank you for not spitting up on big brother Kurty." He tickled the baby under her chin. "Look who's here to see you, Emmy. It's Blaine. It's big brother Blaine. Can you say hi, Emily? Say 'hi, Blaine'."

Blaine leaned over Kurt's shoulder. "Hi, sweet girl," he cooed. Emily grabbed onto his finger and stuck it in her mouth. "Ooh, someone's teething, isn't she? Isn't she?"

"Okay, you guys are disgusting," Finn said.

Kurt looked up and glared. "And why do you say that, Finn Hudson?" he said.

"Just look at you," Finn said. "Acting like you're already married and stuff. It's like you're playing house."

Much to his horror, identical dopey expressions spread across both Blaine and Kurt's faces. "Really?" Blaine said. "We act like we're married?"

"Dudes. Before you were dating, you acted like you were married," Finn scoffed. "Now you've got a baby to play with it and now it's like…like…oh, never mind, I'm going to go play Halo 3 and kill some stuff."

He untied the apron and tossed it over the rocking chair in the corner, ducking his head. Kurt and Blaine turned their attention towards Emily, tickling her lightly till she giggled. Finn grinned despite himself. He had been _this close _to telling them how cute they were. But at least he had escaped with his reputation intact.

Mostly. The apron really hadn't done much for him.

* * *

><p><strong>2018<strong>

"Okay, so this is probably one of the best weddings I've ever been to," Blaine said, squeezing Kurt's hand.

"That's because I planned it," Kurt said. "Well, most of it. Lucy helped a little."

"Which is good, considering she's the bride and you're just a lowly bridesman," Blaine grinned. The two of them sat on the low garden wall, watching the other wedding guests file past as they held hands and sipped champagne. Blaine sighed. "Well, the first of the Warblers has married off."

"Nick's engaged, though, right?" Kurt said.

Blaine nodded. "They haven't picked a date, though," he said.

Kurt sighed into his champagne flute. "We're so old," he said.

"We're not old," Blaine laughed, nudging him. "You're twenty-four, Kurt."

"And out of college, and working full time in fashion," Kurt said, gazing across the garden.

"That's pretty good for twenty-four," Blaine pointed out.

"I guess," Kurt mumbled.

Blaine squeezed his hand. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. "Why are you so upset?"

Kurt bit his lip. "I just…I watch David and Lucy, and they're young and married and they're probably going to get pregnant right away…and I'm just…"

"You're jealous," Blaine finished softly.

Kurt dropped his head. "I know it's stupid," he mumbled.

Blaine kissed him softly on the cheek. "It's not stupid," he said, smiling. "It's not stupid at all."

Wes stood up and took the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's my honor to introduce, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. David Barnes," he announced.

They set their champagne glasses down to applaud as David escorted Lucy onto the dance floor, both of them radiant in their joy. Lucy's wedding dress, a soft taffeta pickup gown that she and Kurt had created together, swirled beautifully as David guided her around the dance floor in perfect time to the music.

Blaine leaned his head on Kurt's shoulder; Kurt kissed the top of his head. Blaine hid a smile.

Kurt didn't need to know about the engagement ring lurking in the bottom of Blaine's sock drawer back home.

* * *

><p><strong>2019<strong>

"So you know how last spring, I said that David and Lucy had the best wedding ever?" Blaine said, sliding his arms around Kurt's waist as the elevator doors clanged shut.

"I seem to recall this," Kurt said coyly, locking his arms around Blaine's neck.

Blaine leaned in to kiss the soft skin behind Kurt's ear. "Yeah. I think ours was a million times better," he said.

"It was pretty good," Kurt breathed as Blaine kissed his neck. "Was the cake okay?"

"The cake was perfect," Blaine said, kissing him gently. "The cake was perfect, the clothes were perfect, the décor was perfect…if you ever quit fashion, you could have a brilliant career as a wedding planner."

The elevator chimed at the top floor; Blaine adjusted his collar as they walked back into the hall, hand in hand. "It would be fun, but I don't want to switch careers," Kurt said. "Not if…well…oh, look the honeymoon suite."

Kurt fished the room key out of his tux jacket pocket. "If what?" Blaine pressed, sliding his arms around Kurt's waist. "What, babe?'

Kurt turned around in his arms, giggling. "Ooh, it's the honeymoon suite," he said. "Are you carrying me in, or am I carrying you in?"

They paused and stared at each other. "How about I carry you now, and you'll carry me over the threshold when we get to our place after the honeymoon?" Blaine suggested.

"Ooh, pick me up, pick me up," Kurt said, raising his arms. Blaine scooped him up in his arms and nuzzled his nose. "Hi, husband."

"Hi, husband," Blaine grinned. He hefted Kurt in his arms and carried him into the honeymoon suite. "I do believe you're a little bit tipsy."

"Just a little bit," Kurt said, nuzzling Blaine's neck. He paused and gazed around the lavish room. "Oh god. This is all for us."

Blaine smiled and set Kurt on his feet. "All for us," he said, kissing Kurt softly. "But you were in the middle of saying something."

"Saying what?" Kurt asked, busily tugging at the knot of Blaine's tie.

"Something about how you couldn't switch careers," Blaine said, leisurely unbuttoning Kurt's jacket.

"Oh, it was nothing," Kurt said, leaning close to kiss Blaine's neck.

Blaine tugged back just the tiniest bit, sliding a protective hand around the back of Kurt's neck. "It sounded like a something," he said. He kissed Kurt on the lips, slow and soft and gentle. "Come on. We're married now. You have to tell me everything."

Kurt dropped his head. "I was just…well, I don't want to do anything that would delay us having a baby," he admitted.

Blaine paused, then laughed. "Are you already thinking about babies?" he said.

"Don't laugh," Kurt said, scowling. "I want a baby. I want to be a dad." He hooked his fingers in the loops of Blaine's trousers. "I want to be a dad with you."

"We've got plenty of time for that," Blaine smiled, pulling Kurt into his arms. "We're young. We're still in our twenties. And sure, Finn and Rachel are already expecting, and David and Lucy are going to start trying, but that doesn't mean we have to jump into parenthood the second we get married. Let's give it a few years, maybe wait until we're in our thirties or something. We've got time." His hands slid to the front of Kurt's pants. "And besides, our honeymoon just started. It's our wedding night."

Kurt shuddered and dug his hands into the front of Blaine's shirt. "Oh my god," he mumbled before shoving Blaine onto the bed. "Say that again."

"Which part?" Blaine stammered, his hands gripping onto Kurt's hips.

"It's our wedding night," Kurt murmured into Blaine's ear.

"Oh, that's hot," Blaine mumbled as Kurt learned down to kiss him thoroughly.

* * *

><p><strong>March of 2020<strong>

Blaine was in the middle of teaching a class when his phone went crazy.

He usually kept his cell in his pocket with the ringer turned to vibrate, just out of habit, but he didn't get phone calls during the handful of classes he taught. But his phone was definitely ringing- five long vibrations at a time.

It happened once, twice, three times. By the fifth call he was starting to get frustrated. There were still ten minutes left in class, and the constant vibrating was annoying.

Then he got a text- three short vibrations. Oh, well, at least this was manageable.

He maneuvered the podium as he lectured and managed to wrestle his phone out of his pocket. Surreptitiously he glanced down to check the screen.

_Mount Sinai ER. Ask for Lucy._

His blood ran cold. The text came from Kurt's number; so did the five phone calls.

A student cleared his throat. "Uh, Mr. Anderson?"

He glanced up. "What?"

"You sort of trailed off in the middle of a sentence," the student said, hiding a smirk.

"Oh," he said. "Well, I've got…I've just gotten some bad news, class is over for the day. I'll see you Monday."

He grabbed his attache case before the surprised students could start rejoicing over their sudden freedom and bolted, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. With shaking fingers he tried to call Kurt back, but he didn't pick up.

He didn't remember calling a cab, or telling the driver to go to the hospital. All he knew was that one second he was in the classroom, and the next he was bounding up the steps to the Mount Sinai emergency room. He stumbled up to the nurse's desk; she glanced up in mild interest.

"I'm looking for…for Lucy Barnes," he said. "What room is she in?"

The nurse suddenly seemed a bit sympathetic. "Down the hall, hon, room five," she said.

Blaine thanked her absently and ran down the hall, searching for the right room. He could hear the frantic sobbing long before he reached it. For a moment he paused outside the door, but he could hear Kurt's voice, soft and soothing, and he pushed it open.

Kurt hunched on the flat uncomfortable hospital bed, hugging Lucy tightly. Lucy's face was buried in Kurt's chest, and she sobbed uncontrollably- a harsh, wracking howl. Kurt smoothed Lucy's tangled red hair, his cheek pressed against her temple. "I'm right here, Lu," he kept murmuring. "I'm here. I won't go anywhere. I'm right here."

Blaine dropped his attache case by the door. Kurt looked up at him, his eyes bloodshot. "Blaine, thank God," he whispered, his lips trembling.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked hoarsely. "What happened?"

"It was a car accident," Kurt whispered. "Blaine, David's dead."

The world stopped for a moment.

Blaine sank to the floor, his knees giving out from under him. "Oh…oh my god," he mumbled. "Oh my god…you're…you're not serious."

Kurt shook his head. Lucy's sobs redoubled, muffled as she buried her face in Kurt's chest. "I'm right here," Kurt reassured her, his voice breaking. "I love you, Lucy. I won't leave you."

Blaine dropped his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. They sat in silence for a long time, lost in the shaking rhythm of Lucy's tears.

Lucy's injuries were manageable- concussion, cuts and bruises, a sprained shoulder. She was discharged from the hospital the next day, and Blaine and Kurt brought her home with them. Until she wanted to go home, they told her.

Lucy didn't go home. Lucy hid in the guest room while they talked to David's family back home in Ohio and made funeral arrangements. Blaine took care of the logistics and the plans and the paperwork; Kurt took care of Lucy, coaxing her into eating and showering and coming out of the guest room every so often.

David was laid to rest in Ohio. The funeral was packed with former Dalton students, as well as David's extended family and a swarm of college friends. Wes and Jo came too, Wes silent and shaken, barely able to speak at the memorial service. Lucy said even less, clinging to Kurt's hand at the graveside, dry-eyed and quiet. Blaine stayed close too, wrapping an arm around Lucy's shoulder and reaching over to brush his fingertips against the sleeve of Kurt's black jacket.

They stayed in Lima for a week, dividing their time between Kurt's family and Blaine's. Lucy was left in the capable hands of her family, all of them anxious to be there for her. But Kurt and Blaine were just finishing dinner at the Hudson-Hummel house, clearing their plates from the table as Emily busily stacked the dishwasher, when she called Kurt.

"Hi, sweetheart," Kurt said, tucking his phone between his cheek and his shoulder. "What's going on?" He paused. "What do you mean, you can't stay there?"

Blaine frowned. _What's wrong? _he mouthed.

Kurt shook his head. "Lucy, Lu, take a breath," he coaxed. "It's okay. Calm down and tell me what's going on." He pressed his lips together tightly as he listened, dropping his dishes on the counter and walking away.

Emily glanced up. "Is Lucy okay?" she whispered.

Blaine squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure Kurt's taking care of it," he said. "Here, you rinse, I'll stack."

"I'll break," she teased.

He and Emily worked on the dinner dishes for a while, until Kurt stuck his head back in the kitchen, the phone still in his hand. "Blaine, can you come here for a minute?" he whispered. Blaine nodded, handing a plate to Emily and wiping his hands off on his jeans as he followed Kurt into the living room.

Kurt sat down on the couch and tugged Blaine down beside him, setting the phone on his knee. "All right, Lu, you're on speaker. Tell Blaine what you told me," he said.

Blaine heard Lucy heave a shuddering breath, the sound staticky. "I want to stay with you," she said, her voice small. "Just…just for a little while longer. I can't…I can't stay here, with my family, they're just…they mean well, but they're suffocating me. And I can't go back to the apartment because…because David…"

Blaine reached over and took Kurt's hand, feeling Kurt's fingers latch tightly around his. "Lucy, we would be more than happy for you to stay with us," he said quietly. "We know how rough this is."

She breathed in deeply, the sound crackling over the speakers. "I know…I know you just got married and you need your space, but I…I don't know where to go. I don't know what else to do," she whispered. "I just…I don't know what to do without David. He was…he was my life since I was fourteen. And…and we were just talking about having a baby together, and now…I'll never…I'll never have that."

"You have us," Kurt said, leaning over the phone. His eyes were red-rimmed again; Blaine reached over and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's going to be all right, Lucy. You're going to be all right. I promise."

They flew back to New York two days later and officially moved Lucy into the guest room. A few weeks later, they helped her sort through the apartment where she and David had lived during their short life together.

And sure, it was a little rough. Some days Lucy was fine, helping Kurt make dinner and tidying up the apartment. Some days she only left her room to go to work. Some days she didn't leave her room at all, and Blaine would come home to find Kurt sitting outside her locked door, talking to her gently.

Eventually it was spring, and the three of them snuck out of Easter mass early to stroll around Central Park in their Sunday best. The sun was shining and buskers were playing music on the sidewalks and flowers were blooming and for the first time in two months, Lucy laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>May of 2020<strong>

"Kurt, there's someone for you at the front desk."

He glanced up from his drawing board. "Hm?" he asked absently.

Sofia grinned at him. "There's someone here to see you up at the front," she repeated. "I recommend you pack up your stuff."

"Am…am I fired?" he stammered.

She laughed. "Don't give me those sad puppy dog eyes," she said. "Trust me. Just head home for the day. We'll see you tomorrow."

Still confused, he put his desk back in order and packed away his sketches. He picked up his messenger bag and headed towards the central desk, only to find his husband waiting for him, grinning ear to ear. "Blaine," he said, surprised. "What…what are you doing here? Is everything okay? Is Lucy all right?"

"Everything is perfect," Blaine reassured him, leaning in to kiss him. "I just thought it might be nice to steal you away from work a little bit early and take you out to dinner."

Kurt blinked. "It's…it's not our anniversary, is it?" he said.

"Kurt, we got married in December," Blaine reminded him gently. He pried Kurt's bag out of his hand and slung it over his shoulder. "Come on. Let's go have a nice night, just the two of us."

After knowing Blaine for ten years, however, Kurt knew something was up.

He knew something was up when Blaine kept jiggling his leg during the cab drive to the restaurant.

He knew something was up when Blaine ordered wine, a really nice wine, with their dinner.

He knew something was up when Blaine stared at the menu for ten minutes but couldn't come up with an answer when the waitress asked what he wanted to order.

Something was most definitely up.

Kurt waited for the waitress to leave with their menus before folding his hands and resting his chin on his knuckles. "So," he said. "What's going on?"

Blaine looked up quickly from the napkin ring he was rolling around in his fingers. "Hm?"

"Blaine, you can't fool me," Kurt said. "There's something going on."

"There's-" The napkin ring started to roll it away; Blaine hastily stowed it in the bread basket. "There's nothing going on. I'm…going to run to the bathroom."

Kurt held up his hand as Blaine started to scoot his chair back. "Blaine," he said softly. "Whatever it is, just tell me."

Blaine halted, then sighed and sank down into his chair. He stared down at his gleaming silverware, then looked up, his eyes hopeful and anxious all at once. "Give me your hands," he said.

Kurt smiled, his heart skipping a beat at the words, and held them out his hands. Blaine grasped them, the pads of his thumbs rubbing against Kurt's knuckles, his grip warm and tight and firm. "Kurt, I've been thinking about this for a while," he said slowly. Kurt sat up a little straighter. "I thought…that I wanted to put this off, but the more I think about it…I just…I think we should do it. I think we should go for it."

"Oh my god," Kurt breathed. "You…you want to move? I know you got that job offer in Massachusetts, but…but Blaine, we love New York. Do we really want to move?"

Blaine blinked. "What? No…oh, no, Kurt, I'm not taking that job," he said. "This has…this has nothing to do with a job. It has to do with us."

A nervous, excited thrill shot through Kurt's spine. "Can you just go ahead and say it, please, because I don't think I can take much more of this," he said.

Blaine took a deep breath. "I think we should look into our options…about starting a family together," he said.

For a second, it was like the entire world paused. The clatter of silverware and plates, the chatter of other patrons, the soft music from the pianist in the corner all silenced. He wasn't even entirely sure if his heart was still beating.

"Kurt? Kurt, babe, are you still here?"

Kurt blinked, crashing back down to earth as everything fell back into place. "Yes," he sad, startled. "Oh my god. Yes. Did you…did you just say what I thought you said?"

Blaine leaned back, dropping his gaze. "Well, I was just thinking about it, and…" He took a deep breath and looked up. "I don't want to wait too long and miss our chance, Kurt. Not like…" His voice trailed off. "I want to have kids. I want to have a family with you. And…I don't think it would hurt if we got the process started now."

Kurt swallowed hard. "I…I think…are you sure, Blaine?" he said. "You wanted to wait."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hands tightly. "I'm sure," he said. "I want us to be parents. I want us to be daddies."

Kurt choked on something between a laugh and a sob that stuck his throat. "Daddies," he repeated. "I'm…I'm going to be a daddy."

Blaine smiled at him, his amber-brown eyes soft and warm and so loving that it made Kurt's heart ache. "Let's have a baby," he whispered, and he stood up a little to lean across the table and capture Kurt's lips softly with his own.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

Oh my goodness. Okay, so. This story has been my headcanon for _months. _Months, I tell you. Every time I write anything with future!Klaine, it's with this story in mind.

I'm really excited to start publishing this one. It's going to be five fairly long chapters, so I can publish one every Sunday. I'm already working on chapter 3, so it won't interfere with Extravaganza! updates.

I'd love to know what you think of this! And let me know what you think about if their first baby should be a boy or a girl, and what the name should be.

(Of course, if you follow me on Tumblr, you probably already know. But don't give it away to the others if you know!)

Special thanks to Kat, Christina, Gilly, and Dana for their help on beta-reading. I've been going back and forth about whether I wanted to post this for forever, so you can thank them for talking me into posting this.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox, not me.

* * *

><p><strong>April of 2020<strong>

Kurt stared at the papers spread across the kitchen table. "Oh my god," he said. "This is…wow. I thought my NYU application was insane."

"It takes a lot to find a baby," Blaine said.

The young couple surveyed the paperwork, then looked at each other. "We're really going to get a baby," Kurt whispered.

Blaine kissed him on the cheek. "If all goes well," he said.

Lucy walked out of the kitchen with three mismatched mugs balanced carefully in her hands. "I brought fortification," she said, setting a mug down in front of Kurt. "And I brought the papers I have to grade too, so I can keep you company."

"Thanks, Lu," Blaine said as she handed him a mug of coffee.

She sat down cross-legged at the end of the table and pulled a red pen out of her ponytail. "So you've decided what you're looking for?" she asked.

Kurt picked up the first page. "We're applying to an agency that helps unwed teenage mothers," he explained. He started filling in the first line with his smooth even print. "If they like our application, they'll have us come in for an interview."

"And they'll like you," Lucy smiled, squeezing his forearm lightly.

"I hope so," Blaine said. He started to pick up a page of the application.

"Mm-mm-mm, no," Kurt said absently, tugging it away. "We are not putting your chicken scratch on here. You're just here to provide me with answers and stack everything neatly. And in order."

"Yes, sir," Blaine grinned.

Lucy looped her ponytail into a loose bun and uncapped her pen. "When will you know if they want you to come in for an interview?" she asked.

Kurt shrugged. "A few months, maybe," he said. "And then we'll have to wait to see if anyone will want us to adopt their baby. And if no one does…" He took a deep breath. "I don't want to think about people rejecting us. Let's just keep filling this out. Blaine, what's your mother's maiden name?"

"Montrose," Blaine said. "M-o-n-t-r-o-s-e."

Kurt nodded and filled in the blank. Lucy kept writing on her stack of tests. Blaine quietly stacked the application papers neatly into the manila envelope. The only sound was the steady _scitch-scitch-scritch _of pen against paper.

* * *

><p><strong>June of 2020<strong>

"Thanks so much for letting me stay here," Francey sighed. "The flight was bad enough, but I can't believe they wanted me to sit in that shitty concourse all day."

"I can't believe they made you take a six-hour layover," Kurt said, lugging his sister-in-law's suitcase into the foyer. "That's just ridiculous. Especially with a baby in tow."

Francey adjusted her one-year-old son on her hip. "Well, at least Zachary's a good flier," she said. She kissed the baby's plump cheek. "Aren't you, you little munchkin?" Zachary responded by throwing his sippy cup on the floor and laughing loudly.

"He's certainly your son," Blaine grinned.

Kurt clasped his hands. "I'm going to get lunch started," he said. "Just make yourself at home, okay?"

"Sure, thanks," Francey said, squeezing Kurt's arm affectionately before sinking down on the couch with her baby on her lap. "Oh, god, I'm so tired…"

"Here, give me my little namesake," Blaine said. He picked up his chubby nephew and sat down beside his sister. "You and Brantley did a good job with this one."

Francey kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the couch. "We tried," she said. She cleared her throat. "Speaking of trying, how's your baby plans going?"

"They're going well," Blaine said. He leaned over to dig a ring of toy plastic keys out of the diaper bag and gave it to Zachary to chew on. "We're going in to meet with an agency next month."

"So you're definitely going with adoption?" she said.

He nodded as he adjusted the baby on his knee. "Kurt's dead set on working with this agency," he said. "They help unwed teen moms place their babies with families. One of his friends in high school had an unplanned pregnancy, and apparently his mom got pregnant with him when she was in high school, so the issue is very near and dear to his heart."

"What about your heart?" Francey asked, folding her hands over her stomach as she scrutinized him carefully. "Is this what you want? Adopting?"

He sighed. "I'd really like to use a surrogate," he confessed. "I'd like our baby to have a biological tie to at least one of us." He smiled as Zachary yawned hugely, dropping the keys on the floor. "And I'd love to have a baby with Kurt's eyes."

"So why not use a surrogate?" Francey pressed.

Blaine picked up the keys again, brushed them off on his pants, and handed them back to the baby. "Kurt's terrified that the surrogate will change her mind and keep the baby," he said. "I tried to tell him that usually only happens in Lifetime movies, but he's too scared. Besides, it's tremendously expensive to hire a surrogate."

"Well, it does happen," Francey shrugged. "And you never know what kind of baby you'll end up with if you don't know the mother very well. I'd offer to be a surrogate, but they told me to stop after this little guy here." She sat up and brushed Zachary's soft hair back. "And if I can't give Zachy lots of little brothers and sisters, then you've got to give him lots of little cousins, all right?"

"We'll try," Blaine said.

Francey folded her arms. "And speaking of cousins," she said. "When are you going to tell Mom and Dad about all of this?"

"At some point," he said.

"Yeah, when?" she said. "On the baby's first birthday?"

Blaine sighed. "I'm not worried about telling Mom," he said. "I just know that Dad…will be awkward about it."

"Dad loves you," Francey said quietly. "You know that."

"I know," he said.

"He's got a picture of you and Kurt from the wedding in his office," she reminded him.

"I know," Blaine said again. "But you know how Dad is. He just…he doesn't talk about anything uncomfortable. And me having a baby with Kurt is going to be uncomfortable for him."

Francey sighed. "As long as you tell them at some point," she said.

"I will," he promised. Zachary yawned again and dropped his head on Blaine's shoulder, digging his tiny hands into his shirt. Blaine leaned back with a smile and patted the baby's back. "I think someone's tired," he said. He kissed Zachary's cheek. "Naptime for you, I guess."

"Oh, god, yes, naptime," Francey said, sliding all the way down to lie on her back. "His blankie's in his bag if you want to put him down."

"It's fine," Blaine said. "I can hold him."

He tugged the blanket out of the bag and draped over the baby snuggled against his chest. Zachary fell asleep quickly, snuffling into his shirt. Blaine patted the baby's back gently.

_Maybe this is what it'll be like when Kurt and I have a child, _he thought.

He leaned back against the couch, smiling to himself as he allowed his mind to wander to thoughts of a child of his own, the child he'd have with Kurt, small and warm and sleepy in his arms. Gently he pressed a kiss to the top of Zachary's head and pretended, just for a moment, that it was his own baby.

* * *

><p><strong>July of 2020<strong>

"So you've applied to adopt."

Blaine and Kurt sat side by side on the couch, hands clasped, both dressed in their nicest suits. Kurt swallowed hard, and Blaine squeezed his hand. "We've only been married for a few months, but we've been together for nine years," he said. "We really want to start a family."

The head of the agency flipped through their application. "Everything seems to be in order," she said. "You do realize that this is a bit unusual, yes? A gay couple, and as young as you are…"

"We're definitely ready to adopt," Blaine said, calm and collected. "We're both established in our careers, we've got a great home…and we really want a child."

"We chose to apply this agency specifically because you help unwed teenage mothers," Kurt added. "A good friend of mine went through the same situation when we were in high school, and we would love to help another girl in a hard place."

The woman smiled at them over her wire-rimmed glasses. "I'll make a note of that," she said. "Now, I understand that you've prepared something to give to the prospective mothers?"

Blaine looked at Kurt and nodded; Kurt reached into his attache case and pulled out the polished black album. The two of them had worked long and hard on that scrapbook, as Blaine selected photographs and Kurt wrote out their stories in his neat handwriting. It was them, in a nutshell.

"We'll let the girls take a look at this," the woman said, closing her hand over the album. "We'll schedule a date for a tour of your home soon." She set their application on top of their scrapbook and closed her appointment book. "You'll hear from us soon."

"Thank you so much," Blaine said, standing up and offering a hand to Kurt. Kurt stood and offered a smile to the woman before picking up his attache case and following him out of the room.

Blaine let out a sigh as soon as the door closed behind him. "Oh my god, that was nerve-wracking," he said.

"It wasn't so bad," Kurt said, linking his fingers through his and squeezing gently.

"Do you think she could tell I was nervous?" Blaine asked.

"Not in the slightest," Kurt reassured him. "If I didn't know you so well, I would have thought you were perfectly fine."

"Now we just have to wait," Blaine said.

Kurt leaned in and kissed him on the cheek as they walked hand-in-hand down the hall. "I think we can manage that," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>August of 2020<strong>

Blaine kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the bed as he hit the speed-dial on Kurt's phone. It rang twice before a cheerful voice answered. "H'llo, Hummels, who's this?"

"Hey, Emily," Blaine said. "Is Dad around?"

"Hi, Blaine!" she chirped. "Yeah, he's right behind me…hey, Dad. Daddy, it's Blaine."

The phone rustled a little as Emily handed it over. "Blaine?"

"Hi, Dad," Blaine said.

"You guys get the home tour done already?" Burt said. "How'd it go?"

"It was great, all things considered," Blaine said, leaning back against the pillows and loosening his tie. He smiled down at his husband next to him, fast asleep as he sprawled across their king-sized bed. "Kurt wore himself out trying to get things perfect, as you can probably imagine, so he fell asleep pretty much as soon as they left."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Burt snorted.

Kurt sat up abruptly, his eyes half closed and his hair sticking up. "Dad?" he mumbled.

Blaine angled the receiver away from his mouth. "Hey, go back to sleep," he said.

"No, no, m'wake," Kurt said. "Dad?"

Blaine smiled and set the phone to speaker. "So guess who woke up?" he said.

"Hey, scooter," Burt said. "That interview thing went well?"

"Yeah, it did," Kurt said sleepily. "I think they liked us. But I think it would have been better to have the nursery set up already…Blaine talked me out of it…"

"I think Blaine had the right idea," Burt said gently. "You don't want to get all your hopes up and then find out that they said no."

Kurt shook his head. "They won't say no," he said. "They can't say no. We want a baby."

Burt sighed over the phone, the sound crackling with static. "I hope they won't say no," he said. "You two'll be great parents. And trust me, I want a grandkid. Finn and Rachel's kid, he's great and I love him, but…Kurt, I want to see you with a little one of your own."

Kurt smiled drowsily. "Uh-huh," he said.

"Kiddo, you sound exhausted," Burt said. "Get some sleep. You can call tomorrow and tell your mom all the details then."

"Okay," Kurt mumbled, dropping his head to the pillow.

Blaine took the phone off speaker. "We'll definitely call tomorrow," he said.

"Carole'll be home around four tomorrow, do it then," Burt said. "She's been talking to everyone who'll listen about how her son and his husband are adopting a baby."

Blaine grinned despite himself. "It's a little too soon to say we're actually adopting yet," he said. He exhaled heavily. "I don't want to get our hopes up too high, in case…something happens."

"I hope for both of your sakes that it goes easy," Burt said. "Listen, you two take care of yourselves. Keep us updated."

"We will," Blaine promised. "Talk to you soon."

He hung up the phone and glanced down at his sleeping husband. With a smile he leaned back and smoothed Kurt's hair away from his forehead, fingertips gentle against his soft skin. Then he sighed and picked up the phone again to dial a number from memory.

He was seconds from talking to the answering machine when it picked up. "Hello, the Anderson residence, Anna speaking," his mother said.

"Hi, Mom," he said.

"Blaine! Honey lamb, how are you? I haven't talked to you in forever," she said in her sweet southern accent. "How's work? How's Kurt?"

"Fine, and wonderful," Blaine said, his fingers tangled in Kurt's silky hair. "Listen, Mama, there's something that I need to tell you."

"Well, shoot, sweet pea, what's going on?" she asked.

He watched Kurt's chest rise and fall in sleep. "Kurt and I are trying to adopt," he said.

She paused for a moment. "Oh, Blaine," she breathed. "Oh, precious boy, I'm so happy."

His lungs seemed to tighten, then relax. "We put in our application a few months ago," he said. "We're just waiting on final approval, and for one of the girls at the agency to approve us to adopt her baby."

"Sweet sugar, I'm so happy," Anna said. "Oh, your father just walked in. Do you want to talk to him?"

His lungs constricted again. "No, no, you can tell him," he said.

He heard his mother cover the receiver, her wedding band clinking. "Jack! Jack, Blaine's on the phone," he heard her say, the sound muffled. "He and Kurt are adopting."

Blaine scratched the back of his neck, imagining his father's reaction. Or lack of reaction. His father had that perfect lawyer face, quiet and implacable, and he never seemed quite comfortable enough to take it off.

"Your daddy says congratulations," Anna sighed. "Oh, Blaine baby, I'm so happy."

He smiled. "I believe you've mentioned that part," he said.

"Are you adopting a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"We're not sure," he said. "We just want one of the girls at the center to choose us."

"Well, I'm sure one of them will," Anna said. "Listen, I've got to get your daddy's dinner ready. Update whenever you can, okay?"

"Okay, Mama," he said. "Love you."

"I love you too, Blaine," she said. "I'll talk to you soon."

He hung up the phone and dropped it on the nightstand before lying down beside Kurt. Carefully he snuggled closer, wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist and kissing him lightly on the cheek. Kurt scrunched his face up in his sleep and cuddled against his side.

Someone knocked lightly on the cracked-open door. "Hey, I'm home," Lucy whispered. "How'd it go?"

"Great," Blaine whispered back. "It went great."

"Oh, good," she said. "He's asleep?"

"Out like a light," Blaine verified, rubbing Kurt's side.

"I'll go make dinner," Lucy said. "Want me to call when it's ready?"

He nodded, resting his forehead against the back of Kurt's head as he started to droop off into the hazy edges of sleep himself.

* * *

><p><strong>October of 2020<strong>

They were in the living room when they got the call.

They were in the middle of a movie. Blaine was taking notes for his next lecture; Kurt was sketching. Blaine's phone vibrated, skittering across their coffee table, and without thinking he leaned over and picked it up. "Hello, Blaine Anderson," he said absently. He paused, then sat up, gesturing for Kurt to pause the movie.

Kurt grabbed the remote and paused it, leaning forward. "What is it?" he whispered. "Is it about a baby?"

Blaine got up from the couch without answering, crossing his free arm across his stomach. "Uh-huh," he said, pacing back and forth. "I see. Yes."

Kurt stayed still on the couch, hands clasped together, eyes moving to and fro to match Blaine's relentless pacing. "Yes, yes, of course, I understand," he said. "Of course. Yes, we'd like that. Uh-huh."

Kurt waited patiently for Blaine to hang up the phone, his back towards him. "Well?" he said. "What is it?"

Blaine didn't turn around. Kurt's throat tightened. "Blaine, what's…what's wrong?" he whispered.

Blaine's shoulders straightened. "Kurt, babe…they've rejected our application," he said calmly.

Kurt stared at him. "No," he said, shaking his head. "No, they didn't. They loved us. Our application was perfect. They toured our home and said it was perfect. They…they didn't-"

"It's doesn't matter," Blaine said, his voice still so infuriatingly calm. "It doesn't matter if the agency loved us. None of the girls chose us as parents."

Kurt's chest heaved. "But…they can't," he said. "They can't."

"They did," Blaine said. "They said they'll keep our application for six months and see if any of the girls change their mind or if someone new comes in, but they said the odds aren't good."

"But…they _can't_," Kurt said helplessly.

"Yeah, but they did, Kurt," Blaine said through his teeth, throwing his phone at the wall.

Kurt flinched at the sound of plastic hitting plaster. That one shudder turned into several, and he buried his face in his hands, his whole body shaking.

"Kurt? Oh god, Kurt…it's going to be okay."

He felt Blaine's arms close around him, warm and tight and secure. "It'll be okay," Blaine said as he knelt in front of Kurt, pressing his forehead to his. "It's going to be okay. We'll pick another agency and we'll try again."

"I don't want to try again," Kurt sobbed into his hands. "It's too much. It's too much, Blaine. If we get rejected again, I don't know what I'll do."

Blaine smoothed his hair. "We've been through worse together," he whispered. "We'll get through this. Just stay with me, okay?"

Kurt latched onto Blaine's sleeve and dropped his forehead to his broad shoulder, still shaking. "It's gonna be okay," Blaine soothed, kissing the top of his ear. "It's gonna be okay. I promise."

He clung to Blaine, feeling his husband's shoulders shudder under his death grip. Blaine kept murmuring soft, foolish things in his ear, his hand firm against his back. He didn't hear Lucy's quiet footsteps approach them until she finally spoke.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "What happened?"

"The agency called," Blaine said, stroking his hand up and down Kurt's back. "We were turned down." He kissed Kurt lightly on the forehead. "We're going try again. Pick another agency."

Kurt pulled away from Blaine. "I don't want to try again," he said sharply. "We'll just get rejected. I can't take that again."

Blaine sat back on his heels. "That's not like you," he said, pushing Kurt's hair away from his forehead. "You've never given up on anything, Kurt."

"This is different," Kurt said. "This is…this is about my family. About having my own family. It's different, Blaine, I can't just…" His throat tightened so painfully he couldn't swallow. "I can't do it again. I can't put myself through this again. Imagining having a baby, thinking about what it would be like to have a child, and then…having someone just take it away from me. I can't do it."

"What about other options?" Lucy suggested gently.

Kurt half-laughed, the sound wet and choked. "What other options?" he said. "We're too young to be foster parents. And finding somebody to be a surrogate for us will be just as impossible as this was."

"What about adopting an older child?" Blaine said.

"Blaine, I'm only twenty-six," Kurt said. "I'm not ready to be the parent of an grade-schooler." He pushed Blaine out of the way. "Maybe we're just not meant to be parents." He started for the stairs, his eyes still burning.

"What if I was your surrogate?"

Kurt halted.

Lucy twisted her fingers together. "I could do it," she said softly. "I'd be happy to do it, actually."

"Oh, Lucy," Blaine breathed. "That's…that's huge. It's a lot to get yourself into."

"I've been thinking about it for a while," she admitted. "I was hoping you would be able to adopt right away, but I did sort of start thinking that if things didn't work, and you wanted me…I could be your surrogate." She looked from Blaine to Kurt, both of them pale and wide-eyed, and sort of laughed. "Oh my god, you guys, stop staring at me like that. You're scaring me."

"You seriously want to have a baby for us," Kurt whispered.

"I do," she said. She took a deep breath. "You've been so wonderful to me ever since David…since David passed away. I don't think I could have pulled through without the two of you helping me. And I know I pay my own part of the rent and everything, but…it's not the same as feeling like I've truly repaid you for everything you've done."

"Lucy, you know we'd never ask you to give us anything," Blaine said.

"I know that," she said. "Even more reason for me to do this. I want to do this." She reached over and cupped Kurt's chin in her hand. "I want you two to have a baby. I want you to have a family."

Kurt threw his arms around her neck, tears burning behind his eyes again. She hugged him back, her arms tight around his waist, until she took a step back and kissed him on the cheek. "I know this is a lot to think about," she said. "Do you want some time before you decide?"

Kurt looked over Lucy's shoulder to see his husband sitting on the edge of the couch, hunched over with his hands clasped, a stray tear rolling down his cheek. "Oh, Blaine," he sighed, pulling away from Lucy to sit beside him. He brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb and kissed his cheek. "Blaine, what do you think?"

"I think it's great," Blaine said hoarsely. He gripped Kurt's hands. "Should we do it?"

"Yes," Kurt said immediately. "Oh my god, yes. Please, Blaine."

Blaine leaned in and kissed him fiercely, his lips warm and searing against Kurt's. Kurt closed his eyes until Blaine pulled back, his eyes shining. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Kurt said, gripping Blaine's hands so hard it hurt.

Blaine stood up. "Yes," he said. "Lucy, we want you to be our surrogate."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

I HOPE THIS MAKES UP FOR DAVID DYING.

But yay! Lucy has offered to be the surrogate! Huzzah!

Honestly, I have spent forever developing this, waffling back and forth on what I wanted to do. I knew I didn't want them to hire a stranger, and I knew that it wasn't going to be Francey, Rachel, or Quinn (all popular options).

Actually, for the longest time it was going to be a character of mine named Ella Sloane. She's been mentioned before in previous stories of mine- she was the daughter of Mollie's best friend from high school, and was Kurt's chief playmate before she moved away when they were ten. When I originally started developing my Glee headcanon, Ella was going to be a much more noticeable presence throughout my stories, and was going to be the mother- even before Blaine was in the picture, I was going to have Kurt raise a child as a single father.

And then I realized that Ella bored me.

I realized she was fun to write as a child, and she was important when Kurt was little, but as a teenager and a young adult...I just didn't care about her. She was a part of Kurt's life that he left behind long ago. And honestly, shortly after I got tired of Ella, I developed Lucy, and they share some similar characteristics. The only difference is that Lucy is relevant to Kurt's life now, as opposed to his childhood, and she's also a much more fun character than Ella ever was.

So yes.

Also, the scene with Francey is all thanks to my darling Dana, who suggested it. And it actually worked out perfectly, because I got to play around with Blaine's family a little more. In my headcanon, Anna was a poor girl from Louisiana who married extremely, _extremely _well, but is always a little scared that her husband will realize she's nothing but trailer trash and divorce her. She adores her children, but never, ever goes against Jack. And Jack is a good man, but very introverted and very averse to change, so while he loves Blaine and supports him in his own way, he is incapable of talking to him on a deeper level or connecting to him.

Now our darling boys are going to proceed with surrogacy, with Lucy as the mother! But who will the father be? And will the procedure work? And will Blaine tell his parents about the change in plans?

DUN DUN DUN...

(Related: I should not be allowed to write author's notes when I have migraines...)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox, not me.

* * *

><p><strong>December of 2020<strong>

The doctor folded his hands on his desk and surveyed the three of them carefully. He was an older man, smiling and fatherly, and while his kindness put them a little more at ease, it didn't make them any less anxious over what the final decision would be. "So you two want to have a baby, with this young woman as your surrogate," he said.

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand. "That's right," he said. "Lucy's been a friend of ours for years. We trust her completely, and we can't think of any of anyone else we'd rather have to be the mother of our child."

The doctor nodded, his silver glasses sliding down his nose, and he turned back to their paperwork. Kurt gripped Blaine's hand tightly. Lucy knotted her fingers together.

"I don't see why we can't get the procedure started soon," the doctor said. "Although, I must say that this is an expensive process, with plenty of legal ramifications. Are you prepared for this?"

Kurt paled. "Oh my god, I didn't even think about that," he whispered, dropping his head. "Blaine, what are we-"

Blaine squeezed his hand again. "My father is a lawyer and has agreed to handle all of the legal aspects," he said. "He's also agreed to cover the costs."

Kurt stared at him, mouth agape. Blaine smiled at him. _Surprise, _he mouthed.

"And you, young lady," the doctor said, turning to Lucy. "Are you prepared for this?"

"I am," she said. "I've thought about this for a long time, and I want to do this. They deserve a baby."

The doctor beamed at them. "It looks like everything's in order, then," he said. "We'll arrange for Louisa's health screening and psychological evaluation, and as long as she clears both of them, we'll make arrangements for the procedure. Have you decided on the donor?"

Blaine looked at Kurt and nudged him lightly. "We decided that I will be the baby's biological father," Kurt said, holding tightly to Blaine's hand. Lucy squeezed his arm.

"Good for you," the doctor said. "Good for all three of you." He shuffled their paperwork back in order. "Let's go ahead and schedule that screening, shall we?"

They chose a date that Kurt penciled into his sleek gray agenda and left the doctor's office. "Well, that was easier than I thought," Blaine said as he tugged his scarf around his neck and stepped into the elevator

"Oh my god, Blaine," Kurt burst out as the door closed and dinged. "Your dad. Are you serious?"

"He's really going to pay everything?" Lucy questioned.

"Everything," Blaine said. He rubbed Kurt's back affectionately. "I told my mother about the adoption falling through, and she told my dad, and…well, he sort of…" He took a deep breath. "My dad isn't very good at being affectionate, or voicing his emotions, so he usually just…does things."

"I'm going to send him a thank you letter," Kurt said, slightly dazed. He wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist as they left the elevator and walked out onto the street. "Maybe I can get him a nice jacket from the closet at work and send it to him."

"I'm sure he'll love that," Blaine said.

Lucy sighed heavily and slid her mittened hands in her coat pockets. "Is it all right that I'm still a little nervous about this?" she said.

"It's perfectly fine," Kurt reassured her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the temple. "Most girls are a little nervous about getting pregnant, even if they want a baby. And you don't even get the fun part."

Lucy poked him lightly in the side. "I don't think Blaine would take very kindly to that," she teased.

"Although it would be easier if we could just skip the middle man and have the two of you make a baby the old-fashioned way…" Blaine mused. Kurt blanched and Blaine laughed, pulling him to his side. "Only kidding. Only kidding."

"Good, because I have no desire to be pimped out," Kurt groused, tugging on Blaine's ear.

* * *

><p><strong>January of 2021<strong>

"All right, then, we're all done," the doctor said, pulling back.

"Did it take?" Kurt asked anxiously. He clutched Lucy's hand tightly. "Is she pregnant?"

The doctor stepped back and pried off his rubber gloves. "Well, from here on out, this will proceed as a normal pregnancy," he said. "If the procedure we did today was successful, a home pregnancy test in a few weeks will come up positive."

"And if not?" Blaine asked.

"If not, we'll continue tracking Louisa's cycles and try again in a few months," the doctor said. He smiled at the three of them. "Now, we'll have you rest for about half an hour, all right? If you need anything, feel free to page a nurse."

"Thank you," Blaine said; the doctor nodded and left the room.

Lucy shifted awkwardly, screwing up her face. "All right, so that was one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever done in my life," she said.

"Well, at least you didn't have to hide in a doctor's office with a bunch of dirty magazines so you could provide a…specimen," Kurt said. He shuddered. "That was traumatizing."

"I'm very sorry," Blaine consoled, reaching over to squeeze Kurt's wrist affectionately.

Lucy shifted again, one hand resting on her stomach. "Don't move!" Kurt exclaimed, squeezing her hand. "Stay still. Stay perfectly still."

"All right, Mister Bossybritches," Lucy said. She sighed. "God, I hope this works."

"Me too," Kurt said. He raised her hand to his cheek. "Thank you for doing this, Lu."

She smiled. "I would say don't mention it, but it is a little more than just offering to babysit or something," she said. She squeezed his fingers gently. "I'm glad I could do it, though."

Blaine smiled at both of them. "I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl," he mused.

"I hope it's a boy," Lucy said. "I hope it's a little boy that looks just like Kurt, and he'll grown up to be the butchest little jock that ever graced a football field. It would be hilarious."

"I wouldn't know what to do with him," Kurt said. "Blaine, you and Finn would have to raise him. Oh, god, that baby would have three dads. Two gay and one straight. And the straight one would also be his uncle. He wouldn't have a family tree, he'd have a family climbing vine."

"I'm sure that if we have a little jock baby, you'll be an excellent father," Blaine said, leaning in to kiss Kurt's cheek.

Kurt smiled. "So do you want a boy or a girl, Blaine?" he asked.

"A little girl," Blaine said. "I think that would be perfect. A little girl with your eyes."

"I hope you don't have a little girl. She'll have you wrapped around your little finger before she's even born," Lucy laughed. She rubbed her thumb against the back of Kurt's hand. "What about you?"

"I don't mind either one," Kurt said. "Boy or girl. At this point, I don't care. I just want to have a healthy baby."

Blaine's eyes softened and he tugged Kurt a little closer to his side. "I'm sure we will," he said.

Lucy leaned back. "So does this mean that you want to keep the gender a secret until the baby's born?" she asked. "Because that sort of sounds like fun, keeping a secret from you."

"Sure, why not," Kurt said. "I was hoping to design a gender-neutral nursery anyway."

The doctor bustled back in, flipping through his clipboard. "It looks like everything's in order," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, just a little…strange, I suppose," Lucy said.

"It is a rather invasive procedure," the doctor agreed. He smiled at the three of them. "But hopefully we'll have some good news soon." Kurt squeezed Lucy's hand so tightly his knuckles turned white.

* * *

><p><strong>January of 2021<strong>

Blaine stared up at the darkened ceiling, his hands folded across the ceiling. He sighed deeply. Beside him, Kurt slept soundly, curled up on his stomach like a child. Blaine turned to look at him, hazy in the dim light, and smiled.

He loved sleeping beside Kurt. There was nothing better than falling asleep beside him at night, listening to the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing, and waking up to him in the morning, all wide sleepy smiles and tousled bedhead.

And then Blaine's mind ran away with him, and all he could picture was a little one with Kurt's brilliant eyes, curled up in between them, maybe with a blankie in hand. He could see it so clearly it almost hurt- their baby sleeping snugly in the middle of their bed, rosy cheeked and content, and waking them up in the morning, batting small hands against their faces and piping "daddy, daddy, daddy" in a sweet high voice.

He had never realized how much he wanted a child until it was so close he could almost taste it, and yet there was no telling if he would ever be a father. They still didn't know if Lucy was pregnant. She had been curiously reticent in the weeks since the procedure, insisting that she didn't want them to get their hopes up too high until she could tell them for sure.

But oh, how he wanted that baby.

Kurt shifted a little in his sleep, pulling his arms in closer to his chest and rubbing his cheek against the pillow. Blaine cuddled a little closer, cupping Kurt's cheek with one hand and rubbing his thumb against his jawline.

Kurt's eyes opened slowly, his lashes brushing against his cheek. "Wha'?" he murmured drowsily.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep," Blaine soothed.

Kurt snuggled closer, nuzzling his cheek against Blaine's shoulder. "You sleep first," he said.

Blaine sighed. "I can't," he said.

"Why not?" Kurt asked, burying his face in the crook of Blaine's neck.

Blaine rubbed Kurt's back gently. "Do you think Lucy's pregnant?" he asked.

Kurt shot upright, suddenly wide awake. "Why? Have you caught her throwing up? Because I've been listening for it, and that girl must be a _ninja _because I haven't heard a thing," he said.

Blaine crossed his arms across his chest. "No, it's not that," he said. "What if...what if she's not pregnant?"

Kurt visibly deflated, sinking down to lie on his stomach. "Do…do you think it didn't work?" he ventured.

"I don't know," Blaine said. He curled a hand protectively around the back of Kurt's neck, rubbing his thumb lightly against the short hair at the nape. "But it's been three weeks. There ought to be some kind of symptoms by now, right?"

Kurt relaxed, resting on his elbows. "Some women don't show any real symptoms for a while," he said. "We won't know for sure until she misses a…a cycle."

"What will we do if she doesn't?" Blaine asked.

Kurt groaned and dropped his forehead to Blaine's shoulder. "Please, honey, can we not talk about this right now?" he said. "I really…I really don't want to think about it. Please."

Blaine sighed. "Okay," he relented. He kissed Kurt's forehead. "Okay. I'm sorry. I guess three o'clock in the morning isn't really the best time to talk about it."

"It is not," Kurt agreed, kissing down Blaine's jaw as Blaine stroked his hair absently. "Most definitely not. People should be sleeping at this time of night." He kissed Blaine on the chin. "Unfortunately, I'm wide awake right now, and I blame you for that."

"I suppose you're right," Blaine said, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry."

Kurt scooted closer and kissed Blaine on the lips, long and slow and heated. Blaine's hand gripped tighter in his hair. "Well, since we're both awake…" he said in a low voice, sliding up against him.

* * *

><p><strong>February of 2021<strong>

Kurt glanced surreptitiously down at his watch. _Blaine should have been out of that meeting twenty minutes ago, _he thought irritably.

It had been a miserable day for him at work. The spring line was way behind schedule, and he'd spent most of the day running around like a maniac. All he'd wanted was to go home and faceplant in bed while Blaine made dinner, but no, of course Blaine had to attend an emergency department meeting.

Kurt shifted his weight impatiently from one foot to the other. _If only Blaine's office was open, _he thought. _All I want to do is sit down. _

He heard footsteps down the hall and straightened as Blaine walked towards him, his coat halfway on and his briefcase in his hand. "It's about time," Kurt said irritably before he could stop himself. "What was that meeting about? Solving world peace?"

"There wasn't a meeting," Blaine said, clearly equally as irritable as he brushed past Kurt, still struggling into his coat.

"Wait, what? Are you sure?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Blaine snapped, thrusting his hands deep in the pockets of his coat. "I walked all over the building looking for it. Nobody's here but the janitors, who saw me circling like a vulture for an hour and a half."

Kurt rolled his eyes and followed him outside into the gray February slush. "Who told you about the meeting?" he asked.

Blaine plunged two fingers into his mouth and whistled loudly. A cab pulled up to the curb. "When I got up this morning, Lucy had left a note on the fridge saying the school called a department meeting at five," he said, climbing into the cab. Kurt followed, pulling his coat tighter around himself. Fashion didn't always necessitate warmth. "Maybe one of my students prank-called the house or something."

Kurt burrowed into his coat. "I hate your students," he said bitterly.

"Today, I do too," Blaine said. He leaned his elbow on the door handle and gazed out the window. "God, all I want to do is go home and sleep."

"No, that's what my plan was," Kurt objected. "I wanted to take a nap while you made dinner."

Blaine glanced over at him. "Maybe we can talk Lucy into making dinner," he said. "We can both take a nap."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Kurt said. "Lucy needs her rest."

Blaine turned away, facing forward, watching the streets rush past. "Kurt, we need to stop this," he said quietly.

"Stop what?" Kurt asked, his heart turning over in his chest.

Blaine took a deep breath. "I don't think Lucy's pregnant," he said.

It felt like someone had ripped his heart out of his body and stomped on it. "Please don't say that," Kurt said, shaking his head. "Please don't. Maybe it's just-"

"It's been over a month," Blaine said softly. "I don't…I don't think it's meant to be, babe."

Kurt turned sharply to glare out the window. "No," he said between his teeth. "I told you I don't want to talk about it."

"Kurt…"

The cab pulled up to their apartment building and Kurt strode out, head held high and his jaw clenched. "Kurt!" Blaine called, hastily handing over their fare to the cab driver and following him up the steps. "Kurt, wait."

"We are not discussing this right now," Kurt said, breezing through the lobby and leaving his husband behind. He ducked into the elevator and jammed the 'close doors' button, and it wasn't until the doors clanged shut that he reached up to rub at his wet eyes.

The elevator continued its slow journey upwards, pausing every so often for people to join him. He smiled thinly as the new passengers stared curiously at him, his red-rimmed eyes gazing straight ahead, until the doors opened on his floor to reveal Blaine leaning heavily against the wall, panting.

Some of the tension drained from Kurt's shoulders. "Blaine?" he ventured.

"You're right," Blaine said, his breathing coming fast and heavy. "You asked me to stop talking about it, and I didn't. I'm sorry. We're both tired and hungry and cranky and…I'm sorry."

Kurt's shoulders sagged. "Can we just go home?" he said meekly.

Blaine smiled, clearly relieved, and he held out his hand. Kurt linked his fingers through his as they walked down the hall together. "Did you seriously run all the way up here?" he asked.

Blaine grinned, one side of his mouth tilting more than the other. "It was just a few stairs," he said, fumbling to get his key out of his pocket and stick it in the lock. "Although you might have to get me a glass of water while I collapse on the living room floor."

"I can manage that," Kurt said, smiling as he walked into the foyer and turned on the lights. He stopped dead in his tracks, his smile fading. "Oh my god. Blaine."

Blaine struggled to untangle his scarf from his neck. "What?" he asked, and then he glanced up, his mouth falling open.

A large banner hung over their kitchen table, proclaiming "congratulations!" in round, cheerful blue letters. Underneath it lay a total of six pregnancy tests and a bright green envelope.

"Oh my god," Kurt breathed. "Oh my god. Blaine. I can't look."

Blaine stood completely still by the door, his scarf dangling from his hand. "I can't either," he said in a small voice. "Oh, god, it's like a train wreck. I can't look away."

Kurt picked up the envelope with shaking fingers and pulled out a card. "Dearest darlingest Kurt and Blaine," he read, his voice echoing in the thick silence of their apartment. A dropped pin would have sounded like a gunshot.

"I didn't want to say anything until I was completely, one-hundred-percent sure. You've probably guessed that. But I went to the doctor for the blood test today, and I know for sure now." He took a deep shuddering breath and looked up.

Blaine had gone completely pale. "What's it say?" he whispered.

The card shook in Kurt's hands. "She's pregnant," he said. He dropped the card on the table and flung his arms around Blaine's neck. "She's pregnant. Oh god."

Blaine latched one arm tightly around Kurt's waist, pulling him tight against his side, and fumbled for the card. "I went ahead and scheduled the first ultrasound for tomorrow. I knew you boys would be too excited to wait any longer," he continued reading, his voice trembling. "I'm staying the night with Jo and Wes so you can have some time to yourselves to celebrate. I ordered from your favorite place and it should be there pretty soon. Sorry about the fake meeting, Blaine, but I didn't know how else to make sure you'd both be home at the same time. I'll see you both tomorrow at the doctor's office, eleven o'clock. I love you both. Congratulations, daddies."

The note fluttered to the table beside the six tests, all marked with cheerful little pink plus signs. "Oh my god," Blaine marveled, staring blankly. "Oh…oh my god."

Kurt covered his mouth with his hands. "We're going to be daddies," he cried. "We're going to have a baby. _Our _baby."

Blaine turned to him slowly, the biggest, dopiest grin imaginable spreading across his face. "Say that again," he said.

"Our baby," Kurt said. He tucked his fingers in the lapels of Blaine's jacket and dragged him a little closer. "Blaine. We're going to have a baby."

Blaine let out a giddy little whoop and flung his arms around Kurt, seizing him and pulling him in tight for a kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

OH MY GOD YAY THEY'RE PREGNANT.

Well, I mean, _they're _not pregnant, but...well, you know what I mean.

SO YES. Lucy is pregnant. Kurt and Blaine are going to be daddies. THE ANGST LEVEL HAS BEEN REDUCED BY EIGHTY MILLION PERCENT.

Now I get to write happy things, like Kurt designing the nursery and Blaine picking out names and OH GOD YAY THEY GET TO TELL BURT HE'S GOING TO BE A GRANDDAD.

You have no idea how excited I am to get to the happy parts.

And feel free to let me know if you want to see anything in particular! The next chapter is all about Lucy's pregnancy, so let me know if you have super cute ideas- the boys doting on Lucy, Kurt and Blaine being overly precautious planners and getting scared by pregnancy books, their friends' reactions as they find out...

EEE I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS.


End file.
